Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Joravsky to 47th Ward: Maybe you're not dumb

Intrepid Chicago Reader political columnist Ben Joravsky pretty much conceded the recent 47th Ward aldermanic race to Tom O'Donnell, the handpicked successor of 35-year incumbent Gene Schulter.

Like many, he figured the low turnout and patronage machine would combine to install another party hack in office, with the voters of the Fighting 47th too ovine to stand in the way.

But occasionally David beats Goliath, and Joravsky was only too happy to eat crow when fresh-faced upstart Ameya Pawar came out of nowhere to win the City Council seat outright. As a 47th Ward resident, I second that emotion.

So how did the unknown, underfunded Pawar get an office in City Hall? Apparently with the help of a libertarian bowling alley owner and a 14-year-old political junkie.

It's a remarkable tale, the kind Ben Joravsky was born to tell. Check it out here.

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